Watford boss Walter Mazzarri has claimed that his side deserved at least a point from their Premier League fixture with Everton on Friday night.

The Hornets suffered a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park as a Ross Barkley strike condemned them to a fifth setback in six outings, but Mazzarri was full of praise for his team's effort on Merseyside.

The 55-year-old is quoted by BBC Sport as saying: "I congratulated all the players on their effort in the dressing room. We did not deserve to lose. We deserved a draw at least.

"I am very happy with the performance because my players gave everything. I am not concerned because I have seen a lot of Everton games.

"They have won 12 of 18 games at home this season before today, and rarely have a team put them under the pressure we managed."

Watford still require one point to make themselves mathematically safe from relegation.